Leave saving the world to the men? I don't think so.

CSA Cooking

We joined a CSA this year. Every Tuesday, my sister in law and I take turns picking up our share from a parking lot in an industrial area of Hawthorne. We come home with four or five shopping bags of mysterious vegetables.

I often don't know what they've given me. Is that a scallion or a really small leek? Is it swiss chard or wild spinach or some weeds from behind the garage? And what is that albino radish thing? I've been using Google Images to identify the mysterious vegetables.

It's been good for me, because the mysterious foods have been guiding the menu for the week. Last night, I made a soup out of the potatoes, leeks, the oddly large scallions, and the knobby carrots. I also made chicken with a tarragon sauce, because we have a bounty of tarragon in the backyard. I do love herbs that survive no matter how badly you neglect them and just reappear every spring like clockwork.

CSA Root Soup

Ingredients:

potatoes

leeks

oddly large scallions

knobby carrots

one clove of garlic

celery

chicken broth

salt/pepper

five leaves of basil

heavy cream

olive oil and butter.

Chop up the vegetables. Saute minced garlic in butter and olive oil. Saute the veggies except for the basil for seven minutes. Add enough chicken broth, so the veggies are 3/4 covered. Add a cover. Cook until all the veggies are soft. Stir in some chopped basil. (Instead of basil, try curry powder.) Throw in the blender. Add about 1/2 cup of cream. Add more chicken broth if necessary. It should be the consistency of soup, not mashed potatoes. Then back on the stove to slowly heat through.

Our CSA tells us what things are and even lets us choose. They talked me into some “albino radish things” they called salad turnips and everyone in my family ate them (and some friend-kids too). They taste like very mild radishes. Not sure if that’s what you got.